Time-stamp construction and system of operation for the same.



C. I. HALL. IIME STAMP cowsmucnon AND svsmw OF OPERATION FOR THE SAME. Y APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. I912. I 1,176,960, Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P- I film, J

"T JEW L WLIIUEEEBEJ: I 2 111ml .M Q IJEEFEL. a

C. l. HALL.

TIME STAMP CONSTRUCTION AND SYSTEM OF OPERATION FOR THE SAME. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2, I912.

1,176,960. I Patented Mar. 28,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

g/g 4 E GEE-5.55M.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER I. HALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MINERALLAC ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TIME-STAMP CONSTRUCTION AND SYSTEM OF OPERATION FOR THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

Illinois, have invented certain new and use-- ful Improvements in Time-Stamp Constructions and Systems of Operation for the Same, of which the following is a' full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved construction of time stamp. mechanisms in which a constant speed driving element is employed, as, for example, a constant current motor, by means of which the mechanism of the time stamp is driven so that its time indicating devices will at all times be accurately set.

In carrying out my invention I preferably employ an alternating current for driving the time stamps and, in connection with each stamp, I use a small induction or synchronous motor which revolves proportionately to the frequency of the alternating current. As a result, as long-as the frequency of the alternating current is maintained practically'constant, the time stamp mechanism is properly actuated to give correcttime indications; To maintain practically constant the frequency of thealternating current, while any desired. mechanism may be employed, Ifind it preferable to use the devices shown in my copending application, Serial No. 671,270, which, for

' the sake of clearness, are shown in the preskind has practically no effect upon the accuracy of operation of the time stamp mechanism.

The several drawings illustrating my invention are as follows:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an al ternating current generating set provided with suitable controlling. devices. Fig. 2 is "a diagrammatic circuit drawing showing switching mechanism employed for operatingthe controlling motor. Fig. 3 is a detailed View showing on'eof the cams for controlling the flow of steam to the steam turbine employed. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view. of the timestamp mechanism. Fig. 5 is an end view of the mechanism driven by the constant current motor shown in Fig. 4: which is employed to advance the printing wheels of the time stamp. Fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic circuit drawing illustrating the connection of a time stamp mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5 with a line circuit connected with an alternating current generator driven and controlled as indicated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, an alternating current generator is shown diagrammatically at 1, driven by means of a steam turbine 2, also shown diagrammatically, through the agency of a shaft 3. Conductors 4 and 5 extend from the generator 1 and supply current to a small synchronous motor 6, which carries practically no load, and is thus caused to rotate synchronously with the alternating current generator 1. The turbine-- indicated in Fig. 3, so that, as the shaft 12 a is rotated,.each of the cams 11 causes the corresponding valve plunger 9 to be depressed against the action of a spring to open the valve and thus establish communication between the corresponding pipe 8 and the steam main 10. The cams 11 are so eonformed and angularly displaced on shaft 12 that, when the shaft is in its position corresponding to the starting position of the generator or the slowest speed condition provided for by the controller, but a small number of the valves 9 are open, possibly one or two, and these are not open to their full extent. Starting from this position, as the shaft 12 is rotated, the valves which are already open are opened wider and other valves are also opened, thus bringing into use more of the nozzles 7. The cams 11 are constructed so that the entire range of con trol is accomplished in something less than a full rotation of the shaft 12.

The gear 13 is engaged by a rack 14. connected with a piston 15 working in a cylinder 16. Pipes 17 and 18 connect with opposite ends of the cylinder 16 to supply compressed air from the main pipe 19 to the cylinder 16 when the valves in these pipes are opened. The pipe 17 has located therein, between the cylinder 16 and. the pipe 19, a supply valve 20, and between the supply valve 20 and the cylinder 16 there is connected with the pipe 17 an exhaust valve 21.

, The pipe 18 has located therein, between the cylinder 16 and the pipe 19, a supply valve 22, and located between the valve 22 and the cylinder 16 the pipe 18 has connected with it an exhaust valve 23. The operating plungers of the valves 20 and 23 are connected together by an arm 24 and adjusting nuts, as indicated, so that any desired adjustment of the valves relatively to each other may be accomplished, as a result of l which, when the valve 20 is opened to communicate compressed air to the lower end of the cylinder 16, the exhaust valve 23 is also opened to permit the exhaust of the air in the upper end of the cylinder, and, when the valve 20 is closed, to prevent communication from the supply pipe 19 to the cylinder 16, the exhaust valve 23 is also closed to prevent the escape of the compressed air from the upper end of the cylinder. Valves 21 and 22 are similarly connected by means of an arm 25, so as to control the air supply to the upper end of the cylinder and the exhaust from the lower end of the cylinder.

The operating plunger of the valve 20 is engaged by the upper end of a lever 26 pivotally mounted at 27, and the plunger of the valve 22 is similarly engaged by the upper end of a lever 28 pivotally mounted at 29. The levers 26 and 28 are connected by a link 30, so that when the link is moved to the right, the valves 21 and 22 are closed and the valves 20- and 23 are opened, and when it is moved to the left the valves 21 and 22 are opened and the valves 20 and 23 are closed. The plungers of the valves 20 and 22 carry springs 31 and 32 and adjusting nuts 33 and 34 for engaging the levers 26 mvaeeo and 28, so that any desired adjustment may be given the valves relatively to the operating levers, and, further, that after one pair of valves has been closed the system of levers may be moved farther in the same direction to open the other pair of valves. When the alternating current generator is delivering current of exactly the right frequency, all of the valves are in their closed position.

The lever 28 has connected therewith a threaded rod 35 engaging the nut 36 rigidly secured to a shaft 37 mounted in bearings 38. The shaft 37 has secured to it, between the bearings, a worm-wheel 39 engaged by a worm 40 secured to the shaft of and driven by an electric motor 41. As a result, when the shaft of the motor 41 is caused to rotate in one direction, the nut 36 is rotated in a corresponding direction upon the rod 35, and the system of valves is moved so as to adjust the controlling mechanism to bring the frequency to its proper value and, when the shaft of the electric motor is rotated in the reverse direction, the valves are operated to produce an opposite controlling efiect upon the generating set.

The synchronous motor 6 has secured to its armature shaft two contact arms 42 and 43, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2. These arms are insulated from each other and connected with slip rings 44 and 45, to which current is supplied by wires 46 and 47, as will be explained. In Fig. 2, the slip rings 44 and 45 are omitted for the sake of clearness. A clockwork mechanism 48 is located with an extending shaft 49 in alinement with the shaft of the synchronous motor 6, and the outwardly extending end of this shaft 49 carries an arm 50, the end of which is located between the ends of thearms 42 and 43 and normally out of contact with these arms. The clockwork mechanism is connected with a wire 51, by means of which a circuitis closed through the arm 50 when it'touches either the arm 42 or the arm 43, as will be described. The shaft 49 is connected with the gearing of the clock in such a manner that when the frequency of the current delivered by the generator 1 is exact the arms 42 and 43 will rotate synchronously with the arm 50 and that an electric circuit will be closed only when the shaft of the motor, 6 lags behind or tends to rotate ahead of the shaft 49.

Referring to Fig. 2, the wire 51 is connected with one terminal of the battery 52, the other terminal of which is connected by-wire 53 with the solenoids 54 and 55. The other terminal of the solenoid 54 is connected with the wire 47 and the other terminal of the solenoid 55 is connected with the wire 46. The plunger of the solenoid 54 carries contact bars 56 and 57, adapted to engage the contacts 58, 59, and 60, 61, respectively, when the solenoid 54 is energized. The

plunger of the solenoid 55 carries contact bars 62 and 63 adapted to engage the contacts 64, and 66, 67, respectively, when the solenoid 55 is energized. One terminal of the battery 68 is connected with the contacts 59 and 65 and the other terminal of this battery is connected with one brush of the motor 41. The other brush of the motor 41 is connected with contacts 61 and 66, respectively. The field winding 41 of the motor 41 has one of its terminals connected with the contacts 60 and 64 and the other of its terminals connected with the contacts 58 and 67. As a result of the circuit connections described, .when the solenoid 54 is energized by the engagement of the contact arms 43 and 50, the contact bars 56 and 57 are moved. into engagement with the contacts 58, 59 and 60, 61, respectively, thus completing a circuit from the battery 68 through the field coil'41 and; the armature of the motor 41 in one direction. When, subsequently, the solenoid 54 is.-deenergized and the solenoid 55 is energized, bringing the contact bars 62 and 63 into engagement with the contacts 64, 65 and 66, 67, a circuit is closed from the battery 68 through the field winding 41 in a reverse direction and through the armature of the motor 41 in the same direction as before, thus reversmg the direction of rotation-of the motor 41.

As a means for affording an indication to an attendant of the relation of the frequency of the current generated'to the true frequency, signals may be inserted in the wires 46, 47 and 51, as indicated in Fig. 2, by the lamps 7 0 and 71, and the electric bell 72. The lamps may be of different color so that the attendant may at once know by the color of the lamp lighted whether the alternating current generator is rotating too rapidly or too slowly, and the bell 72 affords in any event an audibleindication or signal that the frequency of the current generated is either too high or too low. The switches 73 and 74'are provided so that the operation of the motor 41 may be controlled by the attendant, if desired, in case of necessity either to replace temporarily the automatic control or to supplement its actionto meet special conditions.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the time stamp mechanism comprises a plurality of printing wheels 80, 81, 82 mounted upon a shaft 83, the printing wheel 80 being driven by rotation of such shaft while the printing wheels 81 and 82 are driven by means of the carryover gears 84 in such a manner that the completion of a cycle of operation of the wheel 80 will advance the wheel 81 one step and the completion of a cycle of operation ofthe wheel 81 will advance the wheel 82 one step. The shaft 83 has rigidly secured thereto a ratchet wheel 85 in engagement with which, as shown in Fig. 5, there is a position to which it is advanced by operation of the lever 87. The outer or free end of the lever 87 lies in the path of a weight 92 carried by a lever 93 which is freely mounted upon the end of a shaft 94. The shaft 94 has rigidly secured thereto a disk 95 which carries a pin 96 so disposed that, as the disk 95 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5, the pin 96 engages the lever 93 and moves the weight 92 around to the left until it .passes its uppermost position, at which time its weight and the free support of the lever 93 permit it to fall rapidly and engage the free end of the lever 87, thus by its inertia moving the right-hand end of the lever 87 downward against the action of the spring 89 until the weight 92 passes the lever 87. The proportion of the parts is such that this operation moves the ratchet wheel 85 angularly around to the left, as

shown in Fig. 5, a sufficient amount to advance the printing wheel 80 one step, The shaft 94 is driven from the shaft by means of reducing gearing 96 and 97, and the shaft 95 is driven in turn by the armature shaft 98 through reducing gearing 99 driving it is unchanged. For direct current, the motor may be of a type that will operate at constant speed as long as the potential or pressure is maintained constant. upon its ter minals or, if preferred, it may be of a type which will maintain a constant s eed rotation for a constant current flowing in theline circuit with which it is connected- The shaft 83 has secured thereto a gear 102 meshing with a gear 103 secured to the righthand end of a shaft 104. also secured to it a small gear 105, meshing with a comparatively large gear 106 which is rigidly secured to a small gear 107 meshing with a comparatively large gear 108 carried by the right-hand end of the tube or sleeve 109. The gear ratio between the shaft 104 and the tube 109 is one to twelve, so that the tube or sleeve 109 is caused to make one rotation for each twelve rotations of the shaft 104. The shaft 104 is disposed within the tube 109 and has secured to its left-hand The shaft 104 has end a minute hand 110, while the tube 109 has secured to its left-hand end an hourhand 111. The hands 110 and 111 cotiperate to indicate upon a suitable dial 112 the time for which the printing wheels 80, 81 and 82 are set at any particular instant.

The mechanism shown diagrammatically in Figs. 4 and 5 is mounted preferably in a with power from the line circuit 4:, 5. The

lamps 117 are shown connected with the circuit for the same purpose. The wires 4: and 5 besides supplylng power tothe motors and lamps referred to are also connected with the time stamp 113 extending through the casing of the time stamp to the terminals of the motor 101. The controlling mechanism shown and, described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6 by the rectangle 118.

From the above description, it will be observed that I have provided a system in which means are employed for maintaining constant the operating conditions upon a line, upon which operating conditions the speed of a constant speed motor employed,

ina time indicating mechanism depends,

.. .aiia that the mechanism provides, in connection with such a system, a means for accurately indicating time'as long as the particular conditions to which it is responsive are maintained constant regardless of the other varying conditions that may exist maintained practically constant.

upon the line. More specifically, by my system' I provide a means by which the frequency of the altenating current supplied to a line is maintained practically constant, regardless of variations in the load upon the line, and also a means for varying the printing and indicating devices of a time stamp so that they will be accurately set at all times by the alternating current supplied by the line as long as the frequency is thus Furthermore, the time stamp construction is simple, cheap to make, and reliable in operation and is free from many objections involved in the operation of impulse mechanisms which have heretofore been suggested in connection. with apparatus of this kind.

While I have shown my invention in the particular-embodiment herein described, I do not, however, limit myself to this conalmanac struction, as I may employ any equivalent form of time stamp and time indicating devices in carrying out my system without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric time recorder, the combination of time indicating mechanism, a constant speed electric rotary motor, and mechanism for storing the energy of rotation of the motor for a predetermined period adapted to communicate the energy at the end of a period to the time indicating mechanism to advance the same.

2. In an electric time'recorder, the combination of an instrumentality that is tobe periodically operated, a constant speed electric rotary motor, and mechanism for storing the energy of rotation of the motor for each,of successive time intervals and communicating it at the end of each interval to the aforesaid instrumentality to advance the same.

3. In an electric time recorder, the combination of printing wheels, a constant speed electric rotary motor, mechanism for stor- I ing the energy of rotation of the motor for each of successive tune lntervals and communicating it at the end of each interval to 4:. In an electric time recorder the combination of time indicating mechanism, a constant speed electric rotary motor, a shaft driven by said motor, aweight pivoted to said shaft and arranged to be rotated 180 degrees by the shaft and rotated by gravity the remaining 180 degrees, and mechanism for operating said time indicating mechanism extending under and operated by said weight on its downward course.

5. In an electric time recorder the combination of an instrumentality that is to be periodically operated, a constant speed electric rotary'motor, a shaft driven by said motor, a weight pivoted to said shaft and arranged to be rotated 180 degrees by the shaft and rotated by gravity the remaining 180 degrees, and mechanism for operating the aforesaid instrumentality extending under and operated by said weight on its downward course.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day of February, A. D. 1912.

CHESTER r. HALL.

Witnesses ALBERT C. BELL, LEONARD E. Boone. 

